Biggles' Xmas-Box!
Biggles' Xmas-Box! is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 358, 15th December 1934. This is one of the "uncollected" stories. In was not gathered and republished in any anthology in Johns' lifetime. The story was only gathered and published in Biggles Air Ace in 1999. Synopsis Biggles decides that Christmas ought to be a time of "Goodwill Towards Men" and sets out to deliver a ten-pound package of sausages to a German airfield. Needless to say, the sausages do not quite get there. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) It is Christmas Day and Biggles decides that Christmas ought to be a time of "Goodwill Towards Men" so he dresses up in his best uniform and says he wants to deliver a Christmas Card to a German airfield. But neither Algy, Mahoney or MacLaren think it is a good idea. Biggles wants MacLaren to draw him a card but the Scot says the only drawing he will do is with tracer bullets. "You'll be talking about sending the Germans a Christmas Box next!" Biggles actually thinks that is a good idea and proceeds to take off with a 10-pound packet of sausages which he intends to drop off at a German airfield. On the way, the weather is bad and the sky cloudy. Biggles finds himself being stalked by a German Fokker D.VII. He tries to avoid him as much as possible but the Fokker opens fire. Biggles is forced to give battle. He swings around, gets the Fokker into his gunsight and then his guns jam! Biggles is unable to clear the jam and is forced to turn for home but the Fokker pursues. Now Biggles has an idea. He pitches up as though he has been hit and then spins downwards. The Fokker pilot, obviously inexperienced, and thinking he has hit the Camel, follows Biggles down to mark the spot of the crash. Near the ground, Biggles recovers from his spin and zooms up. The Fokker pilot still has his head down, looking for his supposed victim's crash. This gives Biggles a chance to swing around and close in from behind. Biggles gets almost directly above his adversary and then throws his packet of sausages at him. He doesn't really expect to hit, but the next moment he sees the Fokker falling downwards out of control. The aircraft crashes just inside the British lines but Biggles can see that the pilot is able to get out unharmed. Biggles returns to Maranique where his colleages can hardly believe that he downed an aircraft with a packet of sausages. He decides to go fetch the German pilot--if he managed to save the sausages, the 266 Squadorn mess could at least serve them up to him for lunch! Characters *Biggles *Algy Lacey *Captain Mahoney *Captain MacLaren *Rogers Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *Fokker D.VII Places Visited *266 Squadron, Maranique Mentioned Research Notes *Aerial Victories: Biggles 1 (Fokker D.VII) *There is a bridge game going on in the 266 Mess. Algy, Mahoney, MacLaren and Rogers probably made up the four. References to the past Incongruities *See chronology below for anachronisms. Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *The only Christmas this can be is Christmas 1917. Biggles spent Christmas 1916 at 169 Squadron and by Christmas 1918, the war would be over. *This being the case, the occurence of the Fokker D.VII is anachronistic. This aircraft type only entered German squadron service in April 1918 and, of course, the war would be over before such Fokkers saw a Christmas. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 358, 15th December 1934 *Reprinted in Biggles & Co., The W. E. Johns Quarterly Magazine, Number 29, Winter 1996/97 *''Biggles Air Ace'', Norman Wright, 1999 and 2008. References Category:Biggles short stories Category:Short stories Category:World War One era short stories Category:Uncollected stories